Shooting at Paris’ Montparnasse train station: Police shoot knife-wielding man, no terrorism suspected

A 34-year-old man was shot and wounded by police officers at the Montparnasse train station in Paris after threatening passengers with a knife and refusing to comply with police orders. The police intervention caused the evacuation and sealing off of the entire station, reported Nexta TV.

The man, known for a history of domestic violence and recently under police investigation for related offenses, reportedly waved a knife at officers who were waiting for him as part of an ongoing investigation.

Reuters additionally reports he had received an 18-month suspended sentence in September for alleged domestic-violence offences.


During the incident, at least one police shot was fired, injuring the suspect in the leg. Following the police shot, the man stabbed himself in the throat and required emergency medical attention. A 53-year-old bystander was also accidentally hit in the foot by a police bullet and received medical treatment.

Authorities have stated that there is no evidence or suspicion of terrorism linked to the incident. The prosecutor’s office clarified that the motive was not terrorism-related despite the tense context, which followed the recent 10th anniversary of the coordinated 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.

French rail operator SNCF confirmed the establishment of a security perimeter around a part of the station after police intervention. The incident led to minor disruption of train traffic at one of Paris' major railway hubs, which normally serves thousands of commuters daily.

Witnesses described panic among passengers and fear of a repeat of the 2015 attacks. Reuters reported a witness account stating “The memory of the attacks on November 13 (2015) is still there”. Authorities said emergency services promptly treated the injured and secured the scene.

The case remains under investigation, focusing on the suspect’s motives, while authorities have ruled out terrorism as a cause.